“What can the righteous do?”
That question in Psalm 11:3 truly is a sobering one, and the time has come to explore the issues and answers. This obviously deals with foundations of faith that righteous people stand on and depend on for their convictions and guidance for living. But who and why would anyone purposely attend to that kind of destructive deviltry? (Oops! I just categorized some folks.)
The foundations of biblical faith have been under assault since Satan whispered to Eve in the Garden, “Has God indeed said….” And that origin tells us much about all that has followed over the centuries. Attempts to block God’s plan for the coming Redeemer is a central theme in the history of the Hebrew nation. And Satan did not concede defeat when the Son of God came into human history, was crucified and rose from the tomb.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Jesus, Himself, makes the singularly most radical claim of all when He said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
So, it is no wonder that that foundation is always under attack, even indirectly by those who hold the theory that Jesus is not the only way to heaven.
It seems if efforts to minimize the uniqueness of Christ’s claim above, don’t work well, then admitting He was a historical figure but just another prophet is the next step. Or, even including Him in God’s plan for mankind, but one who has converted to Islam after His resurrection and will return to convince others or, if not, to destroy them, in keeping with the doctrines of Islam.
Mormons also acknowledge Jesus but as the brother of Lucifer, and in the consideration in heaven of the need for man’s redemption, Jesus volunteered to go to earth and provide that salvation for lost mankind. (You likely will not hear this account of their doctrine at your first encounter with them.)
Coupled with that attack on the foundation of Christ only, the hope of glory, is the denial that the Christian Bible is the Word of God. The basic canon of holy writ contains 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Someone has pointed out recently that there is an additional book at the end of the New Testament in most Bibles, the “Book of Maps.”
Perhaps so, for you can go there and find actual cities and lands which are mentioned in the two Testaments. Actual historical evidence of the people and places is vivid proof of the things written. While Bill O’Reilly stresses that he and his co-author of the book, “Killing Jesus,” were careful not to delve into any spiritual details of the life of Christ, the historical significance of
Jesus is well established there for the benefit of this generation.
That period in history known as the “Dark Ages” was dark because the Word of God was kept from the common people, kept in a language reserved for the clergy. Many were burned at the stake for producing the scriptures in a common language. Today, the Bible, lying on a school teacher’s desk in many schools in America, will result in that teacher being suspended and fired.
Yet, I believe a person could walk into any school, carrying the Koran or the Book of Mormon and have no confrontation with anyone on the issue. And why is that so? There is no threat of eternal judgment for man’s sinfulness in those writings, for salvation in those writings is based on man’s efforts.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The written Word is crucial to the foundation of faith. Notice that when Jesus was tempted of Satan at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus answered every temptation with “It is written…” against which Satan could not argue (see Matthew 4:4 and following).
In the written Scriptures are recorded eye witnesses of His glory and reality. Peter tells of that in his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, recorded in Matthew 17 and Mark 9. It was later in Peter’s second epistle that he shares the impact of that experience, however:
“Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory:
‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:15-21).
It recently occurred to me that we have only ever had but two things which are both physical and spiritual, which could be touched and handled. One, the physical manifestation of God in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, as John declared in John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In his first epistle, John gets more specific with his affirmation of the physical presence of that God of the universe in human form: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:1-2).
Of course you have realized the other thing both physical and spiritual is the written Word of God, which is said to have these qualities:
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Truly there are other books that are inspirational, but this one stands alone with these characteristics, plus the fact that in its hearing there is faith for salvation of the soul (Romans 10:17). It’s no wonder, then, that the written and printed Word of God has encountered massive attempts to destroy it from the face of the earth, but without success.
Another foundation that is under attack with subtle frequency is the matter of unity among the brethren, the fellowship of believers. It is so easy, here in this American culture, to avoid confrontation on issues between believers and just move to another church. Yet, Jesus gave us a new commandment”
“That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
(That’s in the chapter that tells of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.)
The time has come, now, that togetherness in the truth of Christ is of paramount importance to all true believers.
In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer tells us:
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” One of Satan’s best tactics is to divide and conquer.
Then we have facing us as believers, the resistance from within and from without, to intentionally express our faith to others that they might believe and be saved.
We are told: “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the enemy” (Psalm 107:2), and to “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).
However, violent reactions to the gospel message are being recorded around the world, especially in Islamic areas. There is also a very vibrant but subtle effort afoot to undermine and destroy the foundations of society in its core fabric of moral integrity. The end result of this activity is clearly related to the spiritual foundations, having as its source the same diabolical intention of destruction.
A man by the name of David Saul Alinsky, born in Russia in 1909, who came to America and settled in Chicago. His philosophies for overthrowing society are recorded in his book, Rules for Radicals, which has become the basis, apparently, for the “fundamentally transforming of the United States of America” that candidate Barack Obama announced was about to happen just before the presidential election in November, 2008. Alinsky developed these ideas as a professor at the University of Chicago and as a community organizer in Chicago.
The dedication page of his book is quite revealing:
“Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history… the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer.” [1]
His instructions for “how to create a social state” include eight areas that must be controlled:
Healthcare – Poverty – Debt – Gun Control – Welfare – Education – Religion – Class Warfare
Any person reading the daily headlines with an open mind can see the incessant determination of leftists to gain government control of these areas of American society. It is clear that this Obama administration has made great strides on all fronts. (Incidentally, Hillary Clinton wrote her 1969
Political Science thesis on “An Analysis of the Alinsky Model.” [2]
The stark contrast between good and evil is evident, and the thief in John 10:10, who only comes to steal, kill and destroy, is clearly identified, along with his emissaries.
It was John Adams, our second president, who said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
The wages of sin is death, the Bible says (Romans 6:23), but the dying does not wait to start on the deathbed!
Are the foundations being destroyed?
From every corner, that diabolical onslaught hammers away, but Jesus said this:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away!” (Mark 13:31).
Endnotes
[1] http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/communism/alinsky.htm
[2] http://nukegingrich.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/hillaryclintonthesis.pdf